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Ilumírë
Appearance Ilumírë is the crown jewel of all the fairy civilizations, well, at least of the ones in Tessanis. It is, like most fairy cities, rather hard to spot as it's built into the surrounding environment. The lush forest floor provides cover, and the homes, carved into the rocky sides of the many waterfalls and built under the protection of large tree roots, are all but invisible to an observer who doesn't know what they're looking for. The architecture of Ilumírë is far more elaborate than that of the other fairy cities. Here, there is much attention to detail, with carved, ornate trim on the buildings and bridges and a much more uniform style of building than in the smaller villages. Ilumirans Ilumírë is an extremely large city, compared to most fairy civilizations. It is estimated that about five and a half thousand fairies live within it, and about five hundred pixies. There are numerous fairy dragons that are kept by the residents as pets and familiars. It should also be mentioned that the people of Ilumire use the traditional fairy naming conventions (fairies choose their own names at the age of seven), though for the sake of tracing lineages, the first fairies of Ilumire chose surnames and have passed those down to their children. Demographics Social Standings For a city of this size there has to be a social hierarchy of sorts. There are guilds of important individuals in each of the different occupations; there is a physicians' guild, a brewers' guild, a carpenters' guild, etc. Each guild sends one representative to the Ilumírë Counsel which makes all of the city's big decisions. Laws # Treat all offense with like offense. This is more a general moral thing than an actual law. # There is to be no violence within the city. # Slavery is prohibited within the bounds of the city. # The only language to be spoken within the confines of the city is Eldaiën. # The Council's authority is absolute. A majority vote of one is needed to pass any decision. # It is the duty of any citizen who feels wronged by a council decision to make an orderly, well-mannered protest of the decision to their Guild head. # There is to be no drug use within the city, and alcohol is only to be consumed in a tasteful, non-addictive way. This is the main set of laws that are "absolute". There are many nuanced others which may be added at a later time. Crime and Punishment For nonviolent crime (shoplifting, theivery, arson, black market, etc) there is a fine equal to ten times the value of the stolen/destroyed/illegally sold goods, and a hefty prison sentence. For violent crimes (murder, rape, etc) it is common for the criminal's punishment to be left to the victim (or the victim's next-of-kin) to decide and carry out, if they so choose to. Despite the harsh punishments there is considerable "criminal activity" in the form of an extensive black market for drugs and strong alcohol. Two hundred years of addictions don't go away just because a new government says they should. Defense Ilumírë is pretty well-defended; there are many fairies and fairy-dragons who's sole jobs are patrolling and guarding the city, which they normally do from the air above. It is not in a very good strategic position, being on the ground and under thick vegetation, but most races don't even know it exists, and those that do mean no harm to the city. The guard, while well-trained, is mostly for show; they don't anticipate any sort of attack. Fashion and Art Many Ilumirans wear silk garments for their daily activities. Silk is extremely easy for Ilumirans to acquire, as the spiders in the rainforest are very big and most don't even notice when a fairy harvests enough web to make a set of clothes or two. These clothes come in a wide array of colors, as there are many different kinds of flowers and berries to use as dyes, and tend to have more elaborate embroidery and detail. For formal occasions (of which there are many) it is common for fairies to wear clothes made out of natural materials. Violet and orchid blossoms are a favorite for this. It is considered a symbol of status to wear fresh, crisp flowers, as it implies that your gown is brand-new and hasn't even had time to wilt yet. The artists in Ilumírë are, like most fairy artisans, extremely good at what they do. All dyes and paints are entirely natural, as fairies still haven't figured out how to artificially produce color, beyond burning things to make darker shades and infusing them in water to make less intense ones. Economy Ilumírë still primarily uses a barter system. Attempts have been made to introduce an official economy (usually using semi-uniform gemstones, usually opals and sapphires, as currency) but that hasn't entirely caught on yet. Other May be added to later. Races Commonly Found Fairy Pixie